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The Purpose of Meditation - Realizing Your Self and Attaining Inner Bliss

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,Hsihu, Formosa, June 19, 1995
(Originally in English) Videotape No. 481
Actually, when we're very happy, it's very difficult to meditate. And when we're very miserable, it's also very difficult to meditate! That's why we always try to strike a balance in between, so we don't feel such extremes that we forget that the real happiness is inside. Truly, it is!
It doesn't matter how much we love someone, or how much someone loves us. One day or another, he or she will disappoint us. And then it hurts. Maybe we misunderstand, or maybe it's true. But it hurts. Even with our children or husband, if we truly want them to love us, we have to be like a slave 24 hours a day to their every wish. Then they'll be happy, and then they might stick with us. But even then it's just maybe.
Sometimes children also make trouble for their parents because they misunderstand their parents, or they want their parents to be with them all the time and give them all of their time. But sometimes, if the parents can't satisfy them, they just don't care. So even children sometimes cause a lot of pain for their parents. And sometimes a husband and wife cause pain for each other because of too many expectations or even just normal expectations.
Still, they're not always easy to fulfill. Like today someone loves you and then you expect tomorrow he will be the same or maybe even better. But then something happens tomorrow. And then he's cranky and moody, and he doesn't want to talk to you. It may not be your fault. But then you say, "If you don't care about me, why should I care about you?" And then you both say it, and then you separate or at least feel bad about each other. And then it takes many days before you reconcile with each other again, or maybe never. Sometimes even just small things make people fall apart, and it hurts a lot. It's not that it doesn't hurt. If it didn't hurt, it would be OK. But it does hurt.
Actually, if we truly rely on the inner happiness, then everything will come. Then we'll never be disappointed or have to rely on anyone. If someone comes, it's OK, or if they don't come, it's OK. We don't feel so hurt or pained inside.
So all the pain, sorrow and misery come not from the outside, not from other people. They come from our inner ignorance. We expect too much from everyone and everything, and then we're disappointed. So the only source of happiness is inside. Whenever you meditate, try to get in touch with that source. For your sake, for your own happiness, contentment, satisfaction, you must always try to get in touch with that joyful center which is inside all of you. That is where the Master power is. That is where every miracle in the universe can manifest. That's all loving kindness, that's where all loving kindness is born. That's where all the Virtues, beauty and the Truth laying dormant there for you to discover.
Otherwise, sooner or later we all die and go where, who cares? At least when we're living, we must live a very worthwhile human life. We should be happy and be able to carry on our life in a joyful way. Because that befits our dignity as a human being, as the "Top Ten" of all the animals in this world. We're the top of physical creation. We don't know if we're the top of the universe yet. Maybe not, but at least here, we're the top of creation. So we must carry on our life as dignified as a human being should be, and not be fearful of everything and stupid and in misery, especially when we have the treasure inside that we can always use.
That's the only purpose of meditation: that you know yourself and know what true happiness is, not because the Master says so and you have to obey the Master. You obey the Master because it's good for you, but you must know why. You must know it's for you, not for the Master. The Master doesn't care. I don't care. If you don't meditate, you don't meditate. It's your life. I can't control you, and I don't want to. If you control someone else, you're bound to him or her. Just like the policeman with a criminal, they're both handcuffed. The policeman has to take care of the prisoner.
I don't want to be in that position. So whatever I tell you is good for you, and if what you hear is logical and you know it, then carry on. Not because I force you or anything like that. It's an honor, it's a privilege, and it's the best fortune of our life to be able to know such a secret. It's not being forced, it's not a bargain, and it's not an obligation. It's the best of all privileges, the best of all luck, in thousands or millions of lifetimes, that we're being so easily shown such a door to liberate ourselves of all misery. So work on it. That's all there is to it. (Applause)
Sometimes, if I work until very late, sometimes until twelve o'clock or one, two o'clock, I still meditate before I sleep. I always long to meditate apart from all of my obligations and duties. I never feel like I shouldn't meditate, or that meditation is terrible. Never! It's a joy, a source of relaxation, a way of recharging, even physically.
That's not talking about becoming a Buddha or anything. If you don't meditate during one day, you can never recover from the whole day's exhaustion and all kinds of mental bombardment of society's negativity. So don't complain to me if you're tired, if you're all this and that and the other. If you don't meditate enough, that's it. That's the price you pay. In the beginning, maybe you're unsettled. But the more you meditate, the more you feel like that's it, that's the only method. Now even if someone gave you one million dollars to change the Master or change the method, you wouldn't do it. You never would. Because you just know it; you can't lie. You can't lie and say that this not the method for you. Even if your meditation is lousy, you know it's only your fault. (Master and everyone laugh.) You honestly know that.
And then when it comes to deep down in your introspection: The Quan Yin Method is the only way, right? That's it, full stop, finished, no argument, no "but," "however" or "nevertheless." That's it. That's the feeling we have in our heart, and that's what we know. And that's the only thing that's sure. So if you know that, then you know it. I don't have to tell you.